Supporting arbor



June 7, 1932- Y. A. BOUGET ET AL SUPPORTING ARBOR Filed June 8, 1929 Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE YVES ANDRE BOUGET, OF EAST ORANGE, AND LESTER OSWALD REIOHELP, OF CRAN- IORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATE, 01' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SUPPORTING ARBOR Application filed June 8, 1929. Serial No. 869,458.

This invention relates to supporting arbors, and more particularly to arbors for supportin spools or reels of strand material.

he invention has for its object the prov1- sion of an arbor of simple, inexpenslve, and rigid construction for supporting a supply of material and for maintaining the material under a constant predetermined tension.

In accordance with the invention there 1s provided in one embodiment thereof, a spool supporting arbor which is pivoted at one end with its axis of rotation inclined with respect to the horizontal, the free end of the arbor being movable due to the action of a spring as the supply of material decreases, whereby the retarding effectiveness of a friction brake is correspondingly decreased so as to malntain a constant uniform tension in the material as it is Withdrawn from the spool.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, partly in elevation, of a spool supporting device embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate correspond ing parts throughout the several views, it will be observed that a supporting frame is attached to a horizontal bed plate 11 and is provided with spaced vertically extending bearing portions 13-13 for rotatably supporting a horizontal shaft 15. Pivoted upon the shaft 15 is a depending member 16, the lower end of which is normally pressed outwardly against an upturned flange 17 of the supporting frame 10 by means of a spring pressed plunger 18 (Fig. 1).

The spool supporting arbor consists of a sleeve 20 rotatably carried upon a shaft 21 which is threaded at one end 1n a bracket 22 secured to the shaft 15 so as to be rotatable therewith. As shown in Fig. 4, the bracket 22 is bifurcated so as to straddle a reduced portion 23 of the member 16. A spring pressed pin 25 is provided for locking the arbor to the member 16 with its axis of rotation slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, as s own in Fig. 1. The lockin pin 25 is mounted in the bracket 22 and is a apted to engage a companion aperture or slot 26 in the member 16. Upon the Withdrawal of the pin 25 by means of a knob 28 the arbor may be swung upwardly to a substantially vertical position for facilitatin the removal or replacement of supply spoo s. When the arbor is in a vertical position a raised end portion 30 of the bracket 22 engages a raised horizontal surface 31 of the frame 10.

An adjustable friction brake member is provided for maintaining the material under a constant predetermined tension as it is withdrawn from the supply spool. This brake member consists of an arcuate shaped brake shoe 34 arranged to engage the peripheral surface of a circular plate 35 secured to the arbor. A pair of spaced arms 36, 36 extending upwardly from the brake shoe 34 serve as a means for pivotally supporting the brake member upon the shaft 15. The arms 36 are provided with depending lugs 37 which are adapted to engage the surface 31 of the frame 10 to limit the clockwise movement of the brake member. The brake shoe 34 is normally held in contact with the peripheral surface of the plate 35 by a spring pressed plunger 38 mounted in the frame 10. A reduced depending portion 39 of the brake member is engaged by the lun er 38, as shown in Fig. 1. The member 6 is slotted, as indicated at 40, for accommodating the reduced portion 39-of the brake member.

Adjusting screws 42 and 43 are provided for varying the effectiveness of the spring supply, a substantially horizontal arbor for ressed plungers 18 and 38, respectively. rotatably supportingthe supply, a pivoted These ad usting screws are secured in their friction brake member for retarding the roadjusted positions b means of a lock screw tation of the supply as the material is withl 45, the head of whic engages flattened head drawn therefrom, and means pivoted coaxportions 46 of the adjusting screws. ially with the brake'member and responsive In the operation of the above described to the'weight of the sup 1y for varying the device, a spool or reel 48 containin wire retarding effectiveness the brake member. or other strand material 49 is mounte upon 3. In a device for supporting a material the arbor in the usual manner. The spool supply, a substantially horizontal arbor pivmay be provided with a driving pin or lug 50 oted at one end for rotatably supporting the which engages one of a plura ity of spaced supply upon an axis of rotation transverse to tapered slots 51, 51 formed in. the arbor the pivotal axis of the arbor, a friction brake whereby the arbor is rotatable with the spool member for retarding the rotation of the sup- !8 as the material is withdrawn. Due to the ply as material is withdrawn therefrom, and

weight ofthe spool, the arbor is moved downan adjustable means for decreasing the rewardly against the action of the spring tarding effectiveness of the brake member as pressed plunger 18, the amount of this move the su ply of material on the arbor decreases. .ment being obviously de endent upon the 4. n a device for supportinga material weight of the spool and, t erefore, upon the supply, an arbor for rotatably supporting the amount of material on the spool. The spring supply, means for pivotally supporting the in the plunger 18 is adjusted so that with a arbor upon a pivotal axis transverse to the full spool, the arbor is held in a position axis of rotation of the supply, a frictional wherein a raised surface 52 of the depending brake member for retarding the rotation of member 16 engages the side of the frame 10, the supply as material is withdrawn thereas shown in Fig. 1. With the arbor in this from, and an adjustable means co-acting with position, the spring in the plunger 38 is adthe weight of the supply for controlling the usted so that the required braking force is retarding effectiveness of the brake member. applied by the brake shoe 34 to provide a 5. In adevice for supporting material suppredetermined tension in the material as it is ply spools, an arbor transversely pivoted at withdrawn from the spool. one end for rotatably supporting the spool In order to compensate for the increased upon a substantially horizontal axis of rotension which would normally be required tation, a member secured to the arbor, and a in the material to withdraw it from the supfrictional brake shoe pivoted coaxially with ply as the diameter of the supply decreases, the arbor for engaging the member to retard the retarding effectiveness of the brake shoe the rotation of the spool as material is with- 34 is gradually decreased in pro ortion to the drawn therefrom. decreasing weight of the supp y. Thus, as 6. In adevice for supporting material supthe suppl of material decreases,the weight of ply spools, an arbor transversely pivoted at 0 the supp y spool correspondingly decreases. one end for rotatably su porting the spool This causes the sup ly spool to be moved upon a substantially horizontal axis of rou iwardly by the spring pressed plunger 18, tation, a member secured to the arbor, a w ereby the braking pressure or, retarding spring actuated brake shoe for en a 'ng the effectiveness of the spring actuated brake member to retard the rotation 0 ed; spool sho'e 34 is gradually decreased in accordance as material is withdrawn therefrom, and with the decreasing amount ofmaterial on the means for tilting the free end of the supsupply spool. Thus the strand is maintained porting arbor upwardly to decrease the reunder a substantially constant tension at all tarding effectiveness of the brake shoe as the times. amount of material on the spool 'decreases. It is to be understood that the embodiment 7. In a device for supporting material of the invention herein illustrated and desupply spools, a rotatable shaft, a rotatable scribed is merely one convenient and useful spool supporting arbor attached at one end form of the invention which is capable of nuto the shaft, and a brake member pivoted merous other applications within the scope upon the shaft for retarding the rotation of of the appended claims. the arbor.

What is claimed is: 8. In a device for supporting material 1. In a device for supporting a material supply spools, a rotary s aft, a rotatable supply, a substantially horizontal arbor transspool supporting arbor attached at one end to versely pivoted at one end for rotatably supthe shaft, a brake member pivoted upon the 60 porting the supply, and means pivoted coshaft for retarding the rotation of the arbor, axially with the arbor and adjustably responand means also plvoted upon the shaft for sive to the weight of the supply for retarding varying the retarding effect of the brake the rotation of the supply as the material is member in accordance with the weight of a withdrawn therefrom. supply spool mounted upon the arbor. 2. In a device for supporting a material 9. In adevice for supporting material supply spools, a rotatable shaft, a rotatable spool sup orting arbor attached at one end to the .sha t and extending transversely therefrom,

YVES ANDRE BOUGET. LESTER OSWALD REICHEL'I. 

